Quebec is delaying a project of dikes to deux-Montagnes

File Photo Martin Alarie
Last may, citizens of deux-Montagnes have used sand bags to protect their home from flooding.

Dave Parent

Tuesday, 13 February, 2018 01:00

UPDATE
Tuesday, 13 February, 2018 01:00

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The City of deux-Montagnes has been waiting since last summer that Quebec permits to build 300 meters of dikes to protect its citizens from new floods.

Two Mountains believes that the installation of less than 300 meters of dikes at a cost of $ 1 million along the shore is the only permanent solution that is viable to prevent flooding in the spring.

The City is ready to move forward. The money is there, but the ministry of the Environment was slow to give his permission.

The process to obtain the waiver necessary to the installation of the dams began in July.

A lot of snow and…

Claudie Tremblay cannot imagine reliving the same ordeal as that of last spring. The resident of 13th Avenue in deux-Montagnes, has just recently finished its renovation, made necessary because of the floods.

“For us, it is very worrying because we have invested in our homes and in addition, there is a lot of snow falls, and people are afraid of the melting. It should not be that the same scenario is repeated because it would be tragic for everyone, ” says Ms. Tremblay.

Anxiety

“We are worried. We would have liked to better make the construction last fall. It has taken the necessary precautions to make dikes temporary, but the solution, it is a dike permanent, ” explains the mayor, Denis Martin.

If the application was quickly accepted, the dikes are already in place.

“It would have been the history of a month to do. The longest would have been the call for tenders, but at the end of October, it would have been finished, ” says Benoit Ferland, director general of the City.

The mp caquiste of Two-Mountains, Benoit Charette, is explained badly also these times, knowing that the situation is urgent.

“If you look at the costs to complete the dike so that we paid several million dollars to compensate the victims of Two Mountains, it is ridiculous not to go ahead with a project like this “, said Mr. Charette.

By e-mail, the ministry of the Environment asserts that its reply will arrive as soon as possible.

“The Ministry has already started the analysis of the request for authorization for the City since December on the basis of discussions with the City. In addition, the analysis of the report filed by the City is also underway, ” writes Clement Falardeau, a spokesman for the ministry of the Environment.

Temporary Solution

However, the City remains reassuring. All the materials have been purchased to install a dike temporary formed of concrete blocks and geo-textiles in the spring. A solution of folds that is said to be effective 80% to 90%.

“It’s worth what it’s worth. You can have the same scenario repeats itself in the spring, ” says Martin Bigras, a local resident.

Photo Dave Parent

Martin BigrasDamaged

The flooding of Two-Mountains

♦ 276 disaster

♦ 26 have had to completely destroy their house

♦ $900,000 in fees to the City. Less than half of this amount will be reimbursed by Quebec.